Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Hamas: Hostage Taking

Lord Touhig: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with international partners about securing Red Cross access to hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government strongly supports and advocates for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) being given access to hostages. Ministers and senior officials have discussed this in multiple meetings with ICRC officials in the UK and overseas. In line with their mandate, the ICRC has called for the immediate release of all the hostages and for access to them whilst in captivity. So far, the ICRC has been denied access to the remaining hostages in Gaza. The ICRC has no means to compel conflict parties to provide it access and requires agreement from the respective parties to the conflict to visit hostages. The ICRC facilitated the release of 105 hostages as part of the deal agreed between Hamas and Israel in November 2023. The Government continues to call for a humanitarian pause to allow for the release of the remaining hostages.

UNRWA: Finance

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to reinstate funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and, if so, when.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK provided £35 million to UNRWA this financial year, including an uplift of £16 million for the Gaza humanitarian response, all of which was disbursed before the recent allegations came to light. No more British funding is due this financial year and we have paused any future funding of UNRWA. I met with Commissioner-General Phillipe Lazzarini on 4 April to discuss the steps they are taking in response to the interim findings.We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again. We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion - not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza.We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General.Our decision to pause future funding to UNRWA has no impact on the UK's contribution to the humanitarian response. We remain committed to getting humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza who desperately need it, including through other UN agencies and British charities.

Gaza: Food Supply

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, IPC Global Initiative - Special Brief, published 19 March, that famine in Gaza is imminent; and what steps they are taking in response.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Palestinians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis.On 20 March, the Foreign Secretary announced the UK has funded WFP to provide 2000 tons of food aid, enough to feed 275,000 people in Gaza.On 25 March, the Royal Air Force airdropped 10 tonnes of food aid - including water, rice and baby food - directly to civilians in Gaza.We have trebled our aid commitment this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air.We continue to call for an immediate stop in fighting to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.

Gaza: Refugees

Lord Swire: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any plans of the government of Israel to rehome Palestinian refugees from Gaza in the Sinai.

Lord Swire: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherthey have haddiscussions with (1) the European Union, or (2) the government of Egypt, about receiving Palestinian refugees from Gaza.

Lord Swire: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they havehad with the government of Israel about the forcible expulsion of the Palestinian population from Gaza.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government firmly rejects any suggestion of the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza.The UK's position is clear: Gaza is Occupied Palestinian Territory and will and must be part of a future Palestinian state. We support a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people. This is the only viable option to ensure peace.

UNRWA: Finance

The Lord Bishop of Worcester: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the livelihoods of Palestinian refugees in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon of the decision to suspend aid to the United Nations Refugee and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK provided £35 million to UNRWA this financial year, including an uplift of £16 million for the Gaza humanitarian response, all of which was disbursed before the recent allegations came to light. No more British funding is due this financial year and we have paused any future funding of UNRWA..Indeed, we are appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned.We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again. We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion. I have discussed this with Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on several occasions, most recently on 4 April.We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General.

UNRWA: Finance

The Lord Bishop of Worcester: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the humanitarian relief effort in Gaza and the West Bank of the decision to suspend aid to theUnited Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Our decision to pause future funding to UNRWA has no impact on the UK's contribution to the humanitarian response. We remain committed to getting humanitarian aid to people in Gaza who desperately need it, including through other UN agencies and British charities. We trebled our aid commitment this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air. UK funding has supported the work of partners including the British Red Cross, World Food Programme, UNICEF and Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) to deliver vital supplies.

Smart Devices: China

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Coalition on Secure Technology, Chinese cellular (IoT) modules: Countering the threat,published in March, and its conclusions thatChinese-made cellular internet of things modules should be banned from UK critical national infrastructure.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The security of the UK's critical national infrastructure is of utmost importance to the Government. We continue to monitor potential security threats, including the unique challenges posed by cellular internet-of-things (IoT) modules. The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) and The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) produce advice and guidance on the security implications of internet connected components, which the Government follows where appropriate.Existing legislation such as the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 and Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act (PSTI) 2022 are designed to address the emerging security threats posed by IoT technologies. These include a range of measures that can be employed even in an evolving threat landscape. Any action is only taken after a rigorous assessment.The UK's approach to China is to enhance our national security protections, align with our partners, and to engage where it is in the UK's national interest.

Colombia: Overseas Investment

Baroness Coussins: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to continue with the Colombia–UK Bilateral Investment Treaty after October 2024; and, if it is continued, what plans they have to increase protections for (1) human rights, and (2) the environment.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: I regularly raise human rights issues, as well as specific cases of concern with the Colombian Government. The UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty plays an important role in supporting the investment relationship between the UK and Colombia by protecting investors from arbitrary, discriminatory, and unfair treatment, as well as expropriation without adequate compensation. The UK is content with the standard of protection that it currently provides to investors of both the UK and Colombia. Colombia is a Human Rights Priority Country for the British Government and we actively engage with civil society through regular channels regarding our human rights concerns.

Columbia: Trade Agreements

Baroness Coussins: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the high number of Investor-State Dispute Settlement cases against Columbia; and the impact of these cases on (1) the implementation of the Columbian Peace Accord, (2) the UK's role as penholder at the UN Security Council, and (3) human rights and the environment in Columbia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: I regularly raise human rights issues, as well as specific cases of concern with the Colombian Government. The UK Government cannot comment on legal disputes arising from Bilateral Investment Treaties where it is not a party to the dispute. Resolution of any such disputes is a matter for the Government of Colombia and the investors concerned. Colombia is a Human Rights Priority Country for the British Government and we actively engage with civil society through regular channels regarding our human rights concerns.

Ministry of Justice

Prison Sentences

Lord Blunkett: To ask His Majesty's Government, excluding sexual or violent offences, under what circumstances can someone subject to an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence who has completed their license period have earlier, minor offences dropped from their record.

Lord Bellamy: The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (the ROA) sets out when an offender is considered to be ‘rehabilitated’ for the purposes of the Act and the relevant rehabilitation periods for cautions and convictions (also referred to as when a caution or a conviction become ‘spent’). This does not mean that an offence is dropped from their record, rather that the offender only needs to disclose the spent caution or conviction in some circumstances.The ROA also provides that where a person commits another offence before the first has become spent, then the rehabilitation periods are extended to the longest period. The ROA sets out that, as with other indeterminate sentences, IPP sentences can never become spent, regardless of whether the licence is terminated or not. The same, therefore, applies to any unspent caution or conviction imposed on the offender prior to the IPP sentence.We have taken action through the Victims and Prisoners Bill to curtail IPP licence periods to give offenders the opportunity to move on with their lives. Whether the ROA should be reviewed in the light of these changes would require further consideration in the context of indeterminate sentences generally.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

Lord Blunkett: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to update the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Lord Bellamy: This government has recently reviewed and made significant changes to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 amended the ROA to significantly reduce the length of time that someone needs to disclose most criminal records. These reforms will improve access to employment, which we know is a key factor in supporting rehabilitation and enabling former offenders to reintegrate into the community. Serious violent, sexual, or terrorist offences are excluded from these changes and continue to never be spent.Where a person has a conviction disclosed, we are clear that this should not be an automatic bar to employment. Our guidance for employers states that they should make a balanced judgment on whether someone’s convictions make them unsuitable for a particular job. This should take into account the person’s age at the time of the offence, how long ago it took place, the nature of the offence and its relevance to the position in question, among other factors.The ROA is kept under review. There are no current plans to make further changes, but please see further the answer I gave on 4 April to Question HL3362.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Radicalism

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure the implementation and application of the definition of extremism is consistent across all (1) Government departments, and (2) public bodies throughout England.

Baroness Swinburne: As I set out in the debate of Tuesday 19 March, the updated definition, and accompanying set of engagement principles, apply to engagement undertaken in England, Scotland, and Wales by UK Government ministerial departments to ensure they are not inadvertently providing a platform, funding or legitimacy to groups, organisations or individuals who attempt to advance extremist ideologies. Further guidance on the definition and engagement principles will be published in the coming months.

War Memorials: Muslims

Baroness Deech: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Scott of Bybrook on 21 March (HL3106),where the National Muslim War Memorial will be situated; and, if not in Westminster, for what reason.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Further information regarding the process for establishing a new Muslim War Memorial will be announced in due course.

Faith Matters

Baroness Gohir: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the governance of the community interest company Faith Matters, which has been awarded more than £6 million in public funds for the Tell Mama project to monitor Islamophobia.

Baroness Gohir: To ask His Majesty's Government how much in public funds has been awarded to the community interest company Faith Matters for the Tell Mama project (1) up to March 2023, and (2) from April 2023 to March 2024; and what will be the award from April 2024 to March 2025.

Baroness Gohir: To ask His Majesty's Government, what proportion, if any, of the more than £6 million grants awarded to the community interest company Faith Matters for the Tell Mama project is from Prevent funds.

Baroness Gohir: To ask His Majesty's Government how much of the most recent more than £1 million grant awarded to the community interest company Faith Matters for the Tell Mama project has been paid; and when, if any, are the remaining payments due to be made.

Baroness Gohir: To ask His Majesty's Government what isthe intended purpose of the most recent more than£1 million grant made to the community interest company Faith Matters for the Tell Mama project; and what is the breakdown of the expected expenditure according to the grant conditions that have been stipulated.

Baroness Gohir: To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of therecently awarded more than £1 million grant to the community interest company Faith Matters is for the Tell Mama project which monitors Islamophobia; what proportion is for other initiatives; and what is the purpose of those other initiatives.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has funded Tell MAMA directly with over £6 million since 2012 (funding details are provided below) to monitor and support victims of anti-Muslim hatred, through a workplan agreed via a formal Grant Funding Agreement. The funding was increased to just over £1m for the 2023/24 financial year.Tell MAMA is a project funded with the express remit of supporting victims of anti-Muslim hatred and monitoring incidents. The department funds Tell MAMA as a project of Faith Matters directly.Tell MAMA are subject to internal grant funding processes and due diligence checks. This is the case for all funded partners, before any funding agreement can be processed. Tell MAMA’s most significant expenses are staff related costs.Tell MAMA’s work has been recognised internationally as a good practice model in recording and monitoring anti-Muslim hate. Tell MAMA engages regularly with DLUHC officials to monitor progress and provide feedback on issues affecting Muslim communities and our response to anti-Muslim hatred.Please see a formal breakdown of funding for Tell MAMA over the last 10 years:Financial yearFunding amount2011/12£91,5672012/13£223,5172013/14£80,4572014/15£02015/16£181,9822016/17£503,6202017/18£829,2262018/19£892,1512019/20£841,0002020/21£841,0002021/22£841,0002022/23£841,0002023/24£1,001,230Total£6,166,520

Department for Business and Trade

Supply Chains

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the resilience of the supply chain across the UK and to reduce friction at the borders.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: In January the government published the Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy, setting out the actions we are taking to protect supply chains vital to the UK's economic prosperity, national security, and essential services. These include sharing more information and guidance with businesses on key risks; introducing a way for businesses to tell us about barriers affecting critical imports; and working with international partners to tackle shared supply chain challenges.The Border Target Operating Model, published in August 2023, sets out our new global regime of border controls that makes better use of technology and data to reduce friction and costs for businesses and consumers. It will create a radically simpler yet secure experience for traders moving goods across the UK border.

Department for Education

Higher Education: Finance

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the PwC reportUK Higher Education Financial Sustainability Report, published in January.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support universities who are facing bankruptcy.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the levels of debt in UK universities.

Baroness Barran: Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions responsible for their own financial sustainability. The department’s role and priority is to work with the Office for Students (OfS) and other stakeholders as appropriate to protect students’ best interests. The OfS is responsible for monitoring the financial sustainability of registered HE providers in England. Its latest report on the financial health of the sector, which was published in May 2023, found that the overall aggregate financial position of universities was sound. However, there continue to be quite significant differences between individual providers, both across the sector and within peer groups. The department will continue to work closely with the OfS and many parties including a variety of HE providers across the sector, mission groups and other government departments to understand the ongoing impacts and changing landscape of financial sustainability in the sector.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy: Research

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsupport, if any, they will provide to Anglia Ruskin University in their ambition to establish a Global Innovation Centre for Energy Transition in Peterborough.

Lord Callanan: The Government runs a significant range of research and innovation programmes to support the transition of the energy system. This includes through UK Research and Innovation, the UK’s agency investing in science and research and interested parties such as Anglia Ruskin University are welcome to apply for these as opportunities arise. More information can be found on UKRI’s online Funding Finder Tool, where all funding opportunities are published (https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/). In addition, recent investments are set out in the Government’s UK Net Zero Research and Innovation Delivery Plan 2022-2025.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

UK Internal Trade: Labelling

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have received on 'not for EU' labelling provisions; and what steps they will take to reduce the regulatory burden and costs of introducing them on small and medium-sized companies.

Lord Douglas-Miller: We have, and will continue to, engage with businesses extensively on NIRMS and GB-wide labelling requirements. A six-week public consultation on the GB wide labelling proposals closed on 15 March. As set out during that consultation, we are considering steps to reduce burdens which might be appropriate, such as for small and medium sized businesses. The responses are now being analysed and we expect to publish a response to the consultation in due course.

Hares: Conservation

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Benyon on 12 July2023 (HL9069), which stated that “Introducing a close season for brown hares remains an option”, what indicators they are using to assess the necessity of this option, and how frequently they review it.

Lord Benyon: The proposal to introduce a close season for the brown hare, referred to in HL9069, was set out in the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare. In terms of the necessity of a close season from a wildlife conservation perspective, the brown hare is one of the indicator species for our legally binding targets in England to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030 and then reverse declines by 2042. We know that in order to meet these targets we will need large-scale habitat creation and restoration and improved connectivity but this will be supplemented where appropriate by intelligence on individual species. While there are no immediate plans to undertake a national mammal population review as was conducted in 2018, we should get an idea of trends in our brown hare population from published surveys, for example from the British Trust for Ornithology’s mammal recording, which it has been conducting since 1995 with a view to helping improve our knowledge of the distribution and population trends of some of our commoner mammals.

Hare Coursing: Organised Crime

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the links between hare coursing and organised crime, and what assessment they have made of the economic impact of hare coursing and poaching.

Lord Benyon: The Government recognises the impact which hare coursing has on rural communities. The Government has considered evidence from a wide range of stakeholders and the police on the problems caused by hare coursing, including with organised crime. That is why we have introduced new measures to strengthen law enforcement and increase the powers of the courts through the Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Act. They have been widely welcomed. The new offences and higher penalties introduced by the Act are all being used and imposed by the courts.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Animal Experiments

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of new technologies and methods to reduce reliance on the use of animals in science; and what is their timetable for the publication of any such plans.

Viscount Camrose: On Monday 19th February, Andrew Griffith MP, Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation announced that the government will be publishing a plan to accelerate the development, validation, and uptake of technologies and methods to reduce reliance on the use of animals in science. This will be led by a cross-government group that will consult stakeholders in industry, academia, and charities to develop a detailed plan, which will be published in the summer.

Home Office

Asylum and Migrants: Housing

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) asylum seekers, and (2) other migrants are being housed in hotel-style accommodation; and how much financial support they are providing in support of these arrangements.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation (including in contingency hotels and other contingency accommodation) is published in table Asy_D11 here: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).Data on other immigration groups is published in table Reg_01 of the Regional and local authority data. This includes the number of people accommodated in interim accommodation as part of the Afghan Resettlement Programme.The standard weekly allowance is £49.18 for each supported asylum seeker in self-catered accommodation and £8.86 for each supported asylum seeker in catered accommodation.  Further information on what support asylum seekers receive can be found in the attached link: https://www.gov.uk/asylum-support/what-youll-get.Individuals on our resettlement schemes with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK have access to mainstream benefits and services to enable their integration; and we are working across Government to ensure these services meet the needs of refugees.

Asylum: Sleeping Rough

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of their rough sleeping statistics on 29 February which showed a965.91 per cent increase from July to December 2023 in people sleeping rough after leaving asylum support over the previous 85 days, what consideration they have given to extending the move-on period from 28 days to 56 days for refugees leaving asylum support; and what assessment they have made of the impact this extension would have on homelessness.

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of staggering evictions of refugees from Home Office accommodation, particularly where the person is working with their local authority or a third sector organisation, to prevent their homelessness.

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty's Government whatplans they have to work with the third sector to jointly create a comprehensiveand properly funded transition process for people whose asylum support is due to end, to enable information and support around housing and benefits to be given as far in advance as possible.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Second Permanent Secretary and I recently met with the Bishop of London to discuss the Government support available to newly recognised refugees moving on from asylum accommodation.Following the service of an asylum decision, an individual continues to be an asylum seeker for the purpose of asylum support until the end of the relevant prescribed period set out in legislation. This period is 28 calendar days from when an individual is notified of a decision to accept their asylum claim and grant them leave and we have no plans to extend this period. Whilst our legislative power is clear, we do in practice already extend support beyond this. Our current process means that individuals can remain on asylum support for at least 28 days after they have been issued a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), which means that individuals have longer than 28 days to make arrangements to move on before their asylum support ends. It is important that individuals initiate plans to move on from asylum support as soon as they are served their asylum decision in order to maximise the time they have to make move on arrangements.We offer move on support to all individuals through Migrant Help or their partner organisation.  This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing.  Individuals do not need to wait for their BRP to make a claim for benefits and are encouraged to do so as early as possible if they require them.We continue to identify and make efficiencies in supporting newly recognised refugees during the move on period and to mitigate the risk of homelessness. We are fully committed to working with partners in doing this. We have already worked closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures.  We are also utilising Home Office Liaison Officers to replicate part of the Afghan resettlement move on process. We have been working in three local authority areas since December 2023; Glasgow, Brent and Hillingdon. This has now been expanded to Manchester and Liverpool.

Hare Coursing and Poaching

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government how many instances of violent crime or intimidation related to hare coursing or poaching were recorded by police in each of the past five years.

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the measures relating to hare coursing introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 since they came into force.

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are giving to(1) the National Wildlife Crime Unit, and (2) the National Rural Crime Unit, to address hare coursing and poaching.

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with, and what guidance they have issued to, the National Police Chiefs’ Council about tackling hare coursing.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Official figures are not held on the number of instances of violent crime or intimidation related to hare coursing or poaching. Hare coursing or poaching are not crimes which the police are required to notify to the Home Office. However, where violence or intimidation is used in connection with an incident of hare coursing or poaching this would be recorded under the relevant violence against the person or public order offence classification. However, it is not possible to separately identify those that are connected to hare coursing or poaching in the data held centrally by the Home Office.It is standard practice for primary legislation to be subject to a post-implementation review after sufficient time has passed to assess its impact.The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy aims to target hare coursing through better preventative action, improved intelligence, and enforcement activity.The Government is committed to driving down rural crime and the Home Office continues to work closely with the National Rural Crime Unit to help ensure an effective police response to rural crime.

Undocumented Migrants

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of efforts to reduce the numbers of illegal border crossings into the UK.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office’s priority is to deliver a safe and secure border and we will never compromise on this. We are relentless in our pursuit of those who seek to enter the UK illegally. Border Force have robust measures in place to detect clandestine entrants into the UK and stand ready to respond to any methods deployed. Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and other law enforcement agencies work tirelessly, deploying to risk using tested, but continually assessed, intelligence and targeting techniques. The Home Office publish irregular migration to the UK statistics on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/irregular-migration-to-the-uk-year-ending-december-2023. In 2023, there were 36,704 irregular arrivals, one-third (33%) fewer than in 2022, and 80% of these arrived on small boats.

Animal Experiments: Licensing

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to review the standard duration of licences for animal research, and (2) to introduce more challenge into the system for granting such licences, given the pace of technological change in the sector.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office is going to conduct an internal review in relation to the duration of project licences for animal research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), as announced in the parliamentary debate on 19 February 2024.The use of animals in scientific procedures is only authorised by the Home Office Regulator where there is clear scientific benefit, to people, animals, or the environment. The regulatory framework has a rigorous approach to the application of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) in all applications for programmes of work involving animals. Establishments conducting research must have robust internal governance systems and processes that ensure the regulated activities carried out at the establishment are undertaken in accordance with the principles of the 3Rs. Our application of the 3Rs principles continuously evolves with scientific developments.

Animal Experiments: Licensing

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government whatplans they have (1) to increase the fees for licences to use animals in scientific research, and (2) to seek to reduce the use of animals in such research.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government has laid a Statutory Instrument in parliament to increase the fees payable for licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) to come into effect on 6th April 2024.The Government recently announced that it will double investment, from £10m to £20m per annum, in research to achieve the three Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) and develop non-animal alternatives. The Government will also publish a plan to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of technologies and methods to reduce reliance on the use of animals in science. The Government is committed to opportunities for reducing the use of animals in scientific research. Specifically, this Government has recently accepted the recommendations of the independent Animals in Science Committee to further restrict the use of the forced swim test and apply enhanced scrutiny to any proposal to use it in research. However, we intend to go further and have set an aim to completely eliminate its use, thus driving the development and validation of suitable alternatives (see: www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-on-the-use-of-the-forced-swim-test-letter-from-lord-sharpe/letter-from-lord-sharpe-of-epsom-responding-to-the-asc-forced-swim-test-report-accessible).

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Sponsorship

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their policy paperHigh Stakes: Gambling Reform for the Digital Age, published on 27 April, when they will publish thecross-sport Code of Conduct outlined in that paper; and whether they will include an implementation timeline.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: All domestic sports governing bodies have agreed to four core principles underpinning the cross-sport Code of Conduct on gambling sponsorship: (i) protecting children and young people; (ii) socially responsible promotion; (iii) reinvestment in sport; and (iv) maintaining sporting integrity. These principles put in place a robust minimum standard for sponsorship across all sports. Through the code, a proportion of in-stadium advertising will be dedicated to safer gambling, and replica kits for adults will be made available without gambling logos, alongside the existing requirements for children’s replica kits.We want sports governing bodies to have sufficient flexibility to implement these principles in a way which maximises impact for the sports and their fans. Bespoke, sport-specific codes are currently being designed by individual governing bodies, and will be published and implemented in due course. The Premier League and English Football League plan to have their codes in place by next season. DCMS will continue to work closely with sports bodies to ensure that implementation and enforcement processes are robust.